Prayers and positive thoughts needed - finally pregnant, and not going well

[drk]

Well, I started the thread about infertility a while back, since we''d been trying to get pregnant for over 2 years now, and had been seeing a reproductive endocrinologist (RE) for about 1 year. We finally got the long-awaited positive pg test at the end of Dec, and the first two sets of bloodwork looked good, with the betaHCG rising as it was supposed to. The progesterone levels were low, as we''d expected they''d be. I put myself on progesterone while waiting for the RE to get back from her Christmas vacation, and she had me repeat the HCG and progesterone before coming in to see her early in Jan.

That day, the HCG hadn''t risen as it was supposed to, so of course I spent the night (had to work all night, of course) in a panic, waiting for my ultrasound the next day to see what was going on. Amazingly enough, we had a fetal pole on track for how far along we were, and saw a pretty good heartbeat. She had me repeat the HCG the day of the ultrasound, and it had started doubling again appropriately. She told me to repeat the bloodwork once a week for the next two weeks, and then see her again.

Well, I got home from a trip out of town yesterday to find out that the bloodwork I''d done Thursday was showing an even poorer rise in HCG again. I''m not sure what to think at this point - it''s great that we already saw the heartbeat, but I know that low and slow-rising HCG levels are not good.

The values were: 17dpo 615, 19dpo 2031, 29dpo 4287, 31dpo 6500, and 37dpo 8672.

I finally caved in and told my Mum about the pregnancy today, since if things don''t turn out the way I''m praying they will, I''m definitely going to need her support along with DHs. She insisted I have to think positive, and put it in God''s hands, and I''m going to try my best to do that, even though I''m really having a hard time believing this will turn out well. I''m hoping my RE will let me get another ultrasound this week to put my mind at rest one way or the other.

I''m hoping some of you will keep us in your thoughts and pray for us/send us some of the famous PS fairy dust so that we can have a healthy baby at the end of all this. I need all the help and positive thoughts I can get at this point. Since it seems to have worked in the past for people getting their dream homes, or having surgery go well, maybe it will work for us too? Stranger things have probably happened...

Kate

 

[Skippy123]

Kate,
my strongest thoughts and prayers are outgoing to you and we are here for you. (((((hug dear Kate)))))

 

[hlmr]

Kate, as someone who has had multiple miscarriages and has been in your shoes before, I want to recommend upping your progesterone. Are you taking suppositories? I always had progesterone issues too.

Please focus on the heartbeat right now. That is all that matters, even though I know the hcg beta''s are scary. Demand another ultrasound to check for the heartbeat so you can know what is going on.

Take care of yourself, rest and know that you are in our thoughts here at PS.

Heather

 

[Kaleigh]

Kate,
Sending my strongest prayers your way. I hope you DO get another ultra sound and that all goes well for you. I know this is a very scary time, but as hlmr said, focus on that heartbeat.

We are here for you!!!

 

[NYCsparkle]

sending lots of hugs and hope your way....i hope all is well with you and the baby.....stay positive.

 

[dani13]

Hi Kate,

Stay positive... I am such a firm believer in mind:body connection...its very powerful. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

 

[somethingshiny]

DRK~

Congrats to you Mommy!

My prayers are with you. At this point, your levels aren''t where they should be, but they''re not too far gone. I pray that you and your doctor are able to figure out what is necessary to carry.

On a side note, I strongly urge you to put it in God''s hands. It is His child after all. Open yourself to Him and allow Him to take control.

Again, Congratulations!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Best thoughts and wishes going out to you at this time - I really hope the doctor is able to sort out what is going on and help you carry successfully.

I agree with the others that thinking positive can only help.

 

[Gemma12]

Oh Kate, I''m so sorry to hear this.

Best wishes for you sweetie, we are praying and sending PS fairy dust your way.

Big {{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}

 

[snowflakeluvr]

hi drk,
i had almost 5 years of secondary infertility and 3 m/ces before we had #4. i was seeing a RE when we conceived #4. if my memory serves me, isn''t it true that the hcg numbers start to "taper off" a bit? maybe you should not be as worried as you are? looks like your early numbers were good and strong. my numbers were always very, very high out of the gate, so i think even hcg''s are very individulal for each woman and each pg. with our first 3 children, i don''t think i ever even knew what they were because we had not had inf. issues.
i will be thinking of you and praying for a good outcome. seeing the heartbeat is a very good sign. try not to stress too much(impossible i know). i am sorry you have to go through this-my years of infertility were probably the most painful of my life. and God has blessed us with TWO more kids(#4 who is 4 and #5 who is 2) and i''m 44

.
bless your heart. take care.

 

[lili]

Kate,
Congrats on fetal pole!
My thoughts and wishes to you and your little bean.
Lots and lots of sticky dust to you.
Keep us posted.

 

[Lorelei]

My strongest thoughts and prayers go out to you along with truckloads of sticky dust.

 

[bee*]

Best wishes and I hope that your hcg rises. I''d ask for another ultrasound. Sending lots of fairy dust.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Kate, best wishes and positive thoughts.

 

[aljdewey]

Kate, I''m hoping for a positive outcome for you.

I have to say that I think you can do something to help the situation, and that is try to find a calm place for yourself. Anxiety wreaks tremendous havoc on the body, which isn''t going to help your situation.

You''ve done what you can do at this point, and if it''s going to be, it''s going to be. If you can find a way to embrace that and WILL it to be successful and okay, you can hopefully quiet down your anxieties and be good to your body.

I''ll have you in my thoughts, too, for a positive outcome.

 

[jas]

Prayers and hugs to you honey.

 

[mrssalvo]

sending prayers your way today!!

 

[Jas12]

drk--i am thinking of you, and I am sure the positive energy heading your way can only be good.
At this stressful time keep in mind that there is indeed life in your belly and that is a wonderful thing!--hopefully that thought alone will help keep you positive in the weeks or months to come.

 

[HollyS]

Kate,

Offering up this prayer for you daily:

Father, only You know just how important this child is to Kate because you know her very heart and soul. Bless her, comfort her, be with her every step of the way as she waits, and hopes, and prays for the health of her unborn child. We ask for strength and courage for Kate to face whatever the future holds; but we boldly ask You for the miracle of birth for a healthy and whole child to this mother who already loves the life she carries. Hold this baby in Your very hands, Father, and keep it from all harm, we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.



I will reread and repray this very prayer, every day, until your child is born. I invite others to join me; even those who are not Christian can adapt this prayer to their own faith. Keep your hope alive; focus on the positive; the mind has a lot of say-so over the body. Bless you, sweetie.

 

[Miscka]

I am praying for you, drk...

 

[firebirdgold]

Prayers and a vat of PS Dust heading your way, DRK! *HUG*

 

[belle]

Date: 1/21/2008 12:06:07 PM
Author: HollyS
Kate,

Offering up this prayer for you daily:

Father, only You know just how important this child is to Kate because you know her very heart and soul. Bless her, comfort her, be with her every step of the way as she waits, and hopes, and prays for the health of her unborn child. We ask for strength and courage for Kate to face whatever the future holds; but we boldly ask You for the miracle of birth for a healthy and whole child to this mother who already loves the life she carries. Hold this baby in Your very hands, Father, and keep it from all harm, we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.



I will reread and repray this very prayer, every day, until your child is born. I invite others to join me; even those who are not Christian can adapt this prayer to their own faith. Keep your hope alive; focus on the positive; the mind has a lot of say-so over the body. Bless you, sweetie.

amen. my prayers of strenth and comfort are with you.

 

[drk]

Thanks so much for all the kind words. You have no idea how much they helped when I read them last night at 2am because I couldn''t for the life of me sleep, no matter how positive and calm I tried to be.

I sent my RE an email at 2am to tell her insomnia had set in and I thought I''d go crazy without another ultrasound to see what''s going on. She''s giving me a req to repeat it later this week, so on Wed or Thurs I should get some sort of answer. I''m going to do my best to stay positive till then, and enjoy every instant of this pregnancy that I can. For a type A personality in a profession where we''re in control all the time, the lack of control of infertility and now this are killers!

Thanks again for the kind thoughts, words and prayers. They mean the world to me.

Kate

 

[ang3199]

Oh Kate. I can''t imagine the stress you are feeling. **hugs** and prayers to you.

 

[bee*]

I''m keeping everything crossed for you for Wed/Thurs.

 

[ivanadiamond]

Hey DRK,

I have been thinking about you lately and kept wanting to revive our old thread. Hang in there kiddo, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I am so happy for you, you have already overcome a huge hurdle and god-willing everything will work out. I am sending an inordinate amount of fairy dust your way...please keep us updated.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I don''t know if this article will help you since it seems unrelated to your problem, but when I have problems I like being proactive and doing whatever I can.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/01/21/hfh.caffeine.miscarriage/index.html

 

[divergrrl]

Date: 1/21/2008 12:06:07 PM
Author: HollyS
Kate,

Offering up this prayer for you daily:

Father, only You know just how important this child is to Kate because you know her very heart and soul. Bless her, comfort her, be with her every step of the way as she waits, and hopes, and prays for the health of her unborn child. We ask for strength and courage for Kate to face whatever the future holds; but we boldly ask You for the miracle of birth for a healthy and whole child to this mother who already loves the life she carries. Hold this baby in Your very hands, Father, and keep it from all harm, we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.



I will reread and repray this very prayer, every day, until your child is born. I invite others to join me; even those who are not Christian can adapt this prayer to their own faith. Keep your hope alive; focus on the positive; the mind has a lot of say-so over the body. Bless you, sweetie.

religion isnt my thing(conflicted catholic)...but this brought tears to my eyes, and i totally feel the power in your prayer...wow...

drk..."normal" hcg levels arer all over the board...

I pulled this for you...hth

What Do the Numbers Mean?

The problem is, once a pregnancy is confirmed, you need to know if it progressing along normally. Keeping track of HCG numbers is one way of measuring fetal viability. HCG is measured in milli-international units per millimeter (mIU/ml). HCG is first detectable in the blood as early as seven or eight days after ovulation by very sensitive HCG assays. Blood pregnancy tests will be positive (> 2 mIU/ml) by 10 or 11 days after HCG injection or LH surge, and levels vary with gestational age during pregnancy.

There is a large variation in a "normal" HCG level for any given time in pregnancy. Caution must be used in making too much of HCG "numbers." Ultrasound findings after five or six weeks of pregnancy are much more predictive of pregnancy outcome than are HCG levels. You won''t expect to see a gestational sac or the fetus until the HCG level reaches at least 1,200 mIU/ml.

However, a single HCG level cannot indicate a normal pregnancy. In a normal pregnancy there is a regular increase of the HCG, so you need to see more than one value before you can better understand what''s going on. Additionally, a single value cannot always tell you how far along the pregnancy is, because of the wide range of blood HCG levels in pregnancy. To illustrate the limitations of looking at a single measurement, here is a sample reference list for HCG levels in singleton pregnancies, based on days past ovulation (DPO):

At 14 DPO, avg HCG level is 48 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 17-119 mIU/ml.

At 15 DPO, avg HCG level is 59 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 17-147 mIU/ml.

At 16 DPO, avg HCG level is 95 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 33-223 mIU/ml.

At 17 DPO, avg HCG level is 132 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 17-429 mIU/ml.

At 18 DPO, avg HCG level is 292 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 70-758 mIU/ml.

At 19 DPO, avg HCG level is 303 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 111-514 mIU/ml.

At 20 DPO, avg HCG level is 522 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 135-1690 mIU/ml.

At 21 DPO, avg HCG level is 1061 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 324-4130 mIU/ml.

At 22 DPO, avg HCG level is 1287 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 185-3279 mIU/ml.

At 23 DPO, avg HCG level is 2034 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 506-4660 mIU/ml.

At 24 DPO, avg HCG level is 2637 mIU/ml, with a typical range of 540-10,000 mIU/ml.

Accordingly, the key to interpreting the true value of HCG measurements is to look at their progression. In general, the HCG level will double every two to three days in early pregnancy. Approximately 85 percent of normal pregnancies will have the HCG level double every 72 hours. However, as you get further along in your pregnancy and the HCG levels get higher, the expected doubling time increases.

For HCG levels ml, the expected doubling time is 48-72 hours.

For HCG levels 1200 to 6000 mIU/ml, the expected doubling time is 72-96 hours.

For HCG levels >6000 mIU/ml, the expected doubling time is >96 hours.

HCG levels peak at about eight to 10 weeks of pregnancy and then decline, remaining at lower levels for the rest of the pregnancy. Here is a sample listing of expected HCG levels based on time after conception:

0-1 week: 0-50 mIU/ml

1-2 weeks: 40-300 mIU/ml

3-4 weeks: 500-6,000 mIU/ml

1-2 months: 5,000-200,000 mIU/ml

2-3 months: 10,000-100,000 mIU/ml

2nd trimester: 3,000-50,000 mIU/ml

3rd trimester: 1,000-50,000 mIU/ml

Non-pregnant females: ml

Postmenopausal females: ml

 

[diamondfan]

Please try to be positive.

I had a doctor tell me with my first that my levels were not rising and I would likely miscarry. Well, he is 15 years old now, so please know that perhaps they drew the blood too early (not enough hours elapsing) and that with a pole and heartbeat you are in pretty good shape. I also took natural progesterone with my 3rd, even while I was trying to get pregnant and through the first few weeks. I have had a couple of very early miscarriages but have three kids, and my first was fine, though this doctor scared the pants off of me. Just try to keep busy, tough to do, I know, and go have that ultrasound. I used to say if I could buy one (Tom Cruise copied me!!) and see my baby every day I would be fine about things...I was and am a worrywart, but negative energy does not help! Please relax and try to keep your mind occupied in the meantime.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 1/21/2008 12:06:07 PM
Author: HollyS
Kate,

Offering up this prayer for you daily:

Father, only You know just how important this child is to Kate because you know her very heart and soul. Bless her, comfort her, be with her every step of the way as she waits, and hopes, and prays for the health of her unborn child. We ask for strength and courage for Kate to face whatever the future holds; but we boldly ask You for the miracle of birth for a healthy and whole child to this mother who already loves the life she carries. Hold this baby in Your very hands, Father, and keep it from all harm, we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.



I will reread and repray this very prayer, every day, until your child is born. I invite others to join me; even those who are not Christian can adapt this prayer to their own faith. Keep your hope alive; focus on the positive; the mind has a lot of say-so over the body. Bless you, sweetie.

I''m not religious either...but the hope of this prayer and message convey pretty much everything I wish for you Kate.